OU Football | Charges Against Sooners Wide Receiver Jalen Saunders Dropped

As first reported by SoonerScoop.com, the misdemeanor marijuana possession charges against Oklahoma wide receiver Jalen Saunders have been dropped due to a lack of evidence.

As you'll likely remember, both Saunders and teammate Cortez Johnson were arrested back in early December after being pulled over in the early morning hours of the weekend following the team's win over TCU.

More from SoonerScoop.com's report:

According the arresting affidavit filed by Officer Kevin Brandon to the Cleveland County Courthouse, Johnson was pulled over while driving Saunders' car at 12:57 a.m. for a nonfunctioning rear turn signal.

Brandon wrote he smelled burnt marijuana upon his first visit to the vehicle. After conducting a warrant and driver's license check, he asked Saunders and Johnson about the smell.

"I initially went back to my vehicle to conduct a driver's license and warrant check on both individuals," Brandon wrote in the affidavit. "I then approached the vehicle again and asked the occupants why the vehicle had a very strong odor of freshly burnt marijuana. Saunders stated that he had smoked marijuana earlier in the evening in Oklahoma City but that no marijuana had been in the vehicle."

Brandon then asked Johnson and Saunders to exit the vehicle so he could search the interior.

"I immediately noticed that the canvas fitting around the emergency brake appeared to have been disturbed and not placed back into the proper position," Brandon wrote in the affidavit. "I looked under the fitting and observed a marijuana bud."

The officer also uncovered three cigars he wrote smelled like burnt marijuana as well as a marijuana stem in the center console. Neither Johnson nor Saunders claimed the cigars or marijuana stem.

As you'll recall, many were quick to criticize Bob Stoops at the time when he chose to allow Saunders to play in Oklahoma's bowl game against Texas A&M. Something tells me those critics won't be quite as quick to comment now that the charges against Saunders have been dropped.

While the charges against Saunders were dropped Johnson pleaded guilty and will receive six months probation. There is no word at this time as to whether or not that will affect his status as a member of the football team.